


All that is gold does not glitter

by orphan_account



Series: Multiamory March 2016 [17]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/F, Multiamory March
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 08:49:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6277747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Multiamory March Day 17.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All that is gold does not glitter

Pepper’s surgery was unable to get rid of Extremis completely, making it a managed condition instead. She’s not at risk of exploding, but she still has trouble controlling it, and she’s terrified that one day, she’s going to wake up to Maria and Natasha’s screams. One night, it becomes too much, and she quietly crawls out of bed to go curl up on the couch, leaving Maria and Natasha in bed. They’re safe if she stays away from them, and she doesn’t feel like she can sleep next to them if Extremis might activate in a nightmare. 

She’s dozing on the couch when she sees two silhouettes, and she opens her eyes blearily to see Natasha and Maria. She feels a twist of guilt, sitting up and curling around her knees. 

“Why are you on the couch?” Natasha rubs her eyes blearily. “Come back to bed.”

“I can’t.” Pepper shakes her head, curling further around herself. She’s emitting a faint golden-orange glow now, nothing dangerous, but she knows it could escalate. “I’ll hurt you.” She can see Maria and Natasha frowning in the darkness, and to her alarm, they sit next to her. She presses herself back into the corner of the couch, avoiding their touch. 

“Pepper…” Maria trails off, worry evident in her face.

“I’ll lose control during sleep and burn you. I don’t trust myself,” Pepper says, unable to look either of them in the eye. Natasha slowly settles her hand over Pepper’s. Pepper flinches at first, but Natasha doesn’t seem to be bothered by the warmth. Maria settles her hand over Natasha’s, and Pepper tries to focus on the feeling. She doesn’t know what she did to deserve the two of them.

“We’re both light sleepers, Pepper. At most, it’d be like accidentally touching a hot stove. Hot for an instant, but you can bet I’d be jumping away. Neither of us sleep like rocks, so we’d notice,” Natasha says, brushing her thumb gently over Pepper’s hand. “I don’t want you to sleep alone.” It’s unsaid that Pepper has worse nightmares when she sleeps alone, and Pepper will be eternally grateful that Maria and Natasha still want to stay with her, even after all her Killian-related trauma. 

“If I even start to hurt you a little bit,  _ please _ get away from me,” Pepper says. “Just promise me that. I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt either of you.” Maria gives their hands a squeeze, and leans across to give Pepper a brief kiss. 

“We will. But honestly, you’re more like an electric blanket during the night than anything dangerous. I love it, and I’m sure Nat does too, since she gets cold so easily.” Maria stands up, tugging gently at their hands. “Let’s go to bed.” 

Pepper is still wound up and tense, but she follows the two of them to bed. This time, Natasha abandons her position between them, letting Pepper be in the middle instead. Maria and Natasha wrap themselves around Pepper, and Pepper lets herself be held for once. Once the two of them are asleep, Pepper lets herself cry a little bit, but they’re mostly grateful tears. She’s a mess, but they still love her, and that will always mean the world. 

 


End file.
